Militants

Executive Summary Nigeria struggles to provide security to its population, though efforts like the use of artificial intelligence to track militant movement patterns may aid the government in the future.... MORE

Abu Sayyaf is considered a group in “demise” according to leading Philippine military officials (Benar News, July 31). The killing of key commander Mudzrimar “Mundi” Sawadjaan on his way to... MORE

On August 2, a Philippine military spokesman announced that Sulu Island in Mindanao is now free of Abu Sayyaf (The Manila Times, August 2). If there were any doubts about... MORE

On August 16, one of northwestern Nigeria’s most notorious bandits, Dogo Gide, released a video in which he claimed his fighters were responsible for downing a Nigerian air force helicopter... MORE

On August 6, Islamic State (IS) announced its new caliph, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Quraishi. He is now the organization’s fourth caliph since Abubakar al-Baghdadi declared the caliphate in 2014 (allarabnews.com,... MORE

On June 7, Philippine security forces on Basilan Island (off of Mindanao) claimed to have “rescued” an Indonesian boy who was being trained to carry out bombings (philstar.com, June 7).... MORE

At the start of June, Cameroonian President Paul Biya ordered the nation’s army to hold an emergency meeting to address a recent resurgence in cross-border attacks by Islamic State in... MORE

On May 23, eight former Abu Sayyaf members surrendered to the Philippine government by handing over their guns and pledging loyalty to the state (manilatimes.net, May 26). This continues the... MORE

Abu Sayyaf’s origins date to the period after the Soviet army left Afghanistan in 1989. However, its most lethal attacks began occurring in the years surrounding 9/11 and reached a... MORE

When Muhammadu Buhari was elected Nigerian president in 2015, he notoriously stated that Boko Haram was “technically defeated” (punchng.com, February 6, 2016). A former military general who has seen civil... MORE